Spectral Analysis Techniques for Fluid Monitoring

Abstract

Spectroscopic analyses of complex mixtures within a fluid phase can oftentimes be complicated by spectral overlap, making it difficult to analyze for each constituent therein. Methods for analyzing a treatment fluid can comprise: providing a treatment fluid comprising a fluid phase and one or more constituents therein; exposing the treatment fluid to electromagnetic radiation in a spectral region where the fluid phase optically interacts with the electromagnetic radiation, so as to acquire a spectrum of the fluid phase; analyzing the spectrum of the fluid phase to determine at least one property of the treatment fluid, the at least one property of the treatment fluid being selected from the group consisting of a concentration of at least one constituent in the treatment fluid, at least one characteristic of the treatment fluid, and any combination thereof; and introducing the treatment fluid into a subterranean formation.

The invention claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 providing a treatment fluid comprising a fluid phase and one or more constituents therein;   exposing the treatment fluid to electromagnetic radiation in a spectral region where the fluid phase optically interacts with the electromagnetic radiation, so as to acquire a spectrum of the fluid phase;   analyzing the spectrum of the fluid phase to determine at least one property of the treatment fluid, the at least one property of the treatment fluid being selected from the group consisting of a concentration of at least one constituent in the treatment fluid, at least one characteristic of the treatment fluid, and any combination thereof; and   introducing the treatment fluid into a subterranean formation.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein analyzing the spectrum of the fluid phase takes place before introducing the treatment fluid into the subterranean formation. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 determining if the treatment fluid is suitable for being introduced into the subterranean formation.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 altering a concentration of at least one constituent of the treatment fluid, altering at least one characteristic of the treatment fluid, or any combination thereof.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein altering takes place before introducing the treatment fluid into the subterranean formation. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein altering takes place on-the-fly while introducing the treatment fluid into the subterranean formation. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid phase comprises water, an aqueous fluid, an oleaginous fluid, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the fluid phase comprises a produced aqueous fluid. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more constituents comprise at least one ionic material. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the at least one ionic material comprises an ion selected from the group consisting of sodium-containing ions, potassium-containing ions, strontium-containing ions, magnesium-containing ions, calcium-containing ions, barium-containing ions, aluminum-containing ions, carbon-containing ions, sulfur-containing ions, halogen-containing ions, boron-containing ions, manganese-containing ions, lithium-containing ions, cesium-containing ions, chromium-containing ions, arsenic-containing ions, lead-containing ions, mercury-containing ions, nickel-containing ions, copper-containing ions, zinc-containing ions, titanium-containing ions, and any combination thereof. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one characteristic of the treatment fluid comprises a physical property selected from the group consisting of pH, ionic strength, specific gravity, total dissolved solids, total suspended solids, viscosity, opacity, yield point, and any combination thereof. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the treatment fluid comprises a fracturing fluid, an acidizing fluid, a drilling fluid, a scale inhibitor fluid, a biocidal fluid, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein analyzing the spectrum of the fluid phase takes place within a wavelength range where the fluid phase has a molar extinction coefficient of at least about 0.005 M −1 mm −1 . 
     
     
         14 . A method comprising:
 providing a fluid phase containing one or more constituents therein;   exposing the fluid phase to electromagnetic radiation in a spectral region where the fluid phase optically interacts with the electromagnetic radiation, so as to acquire a spectrum of the fluid phase;   analyzing the spectrum of the fluid phase to determine at least one property thereof, the at least one property of the fluid phase being selected from the group consisting of a concentration of at least one constituent in the fluid phase, at least one characteristic of the fluid phase, and any combination thereof;   determining if the at least one property is within a desired range; and   introducing the fluid phase into a vessel.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the vessel comprises a pipeline. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein analyzing the spectrum of the fluid phase and determining if the at least one property is within a desired range take place before introducing the fluid phase into the vessel. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 altering a concentration of at least one constituent in the fluid phase, altering at least one characteristic of the fluid phase, or any combination thereof.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein altering takes place before introducing the fluid phase into the vessel. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the fluid phase is exposed to the electromagnetic radiation after being introduced to the vessel. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein analyzing the spectrum of the fluid phase takes place within a wavelength range where the fluid phase has a molar extinction coefficient of at least about 0.005 M −1 mm −1 . 
     
     
         21 . A method comprising:
 providing a produced aqueous fluid from a subterranean formation;   exposing the produced aqueous fluid to electromagnetic radiation in a spectral region where water comprising the produced aqueous fluid optically interacts with the electromagnetic radiation, so as to acquire a spectrum of the water;   analyzing the spectrum of the water to determine at least one property of the produced aqueous fluid, the at least one property of the produced aqueous fluid being selected from the group consisting of a concentration of at least one constituent in the produced aqueous fluid, at least one characteristic of the produced aqueous fluid, and any combination thereof; and   optionally, altering a concentration of at least one constituent in the produced aqueous fluid, altering at least one characteristic of the produced aqueous fluid, or any combination thereof.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 re-introducing the produced aqueous fluid into a subterranean formation, the subterranean formation comprising the same subterranean formation that produced the aqueous fluid or a different subterranean formation.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the produced aqueous fluid is re-introduced to the subterranean formation as a treatment fluid comprising the produced aqueous fluid, the treatment fluid being selected from the group consisting of a fracturing fluid, an acidizing fluid, a drilling fluid, a scale inhibitor fluid, a biocidal fluid, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein analyzing the spectrum of the water takes place within a wavelength range where the water has a molar extinction coefficient of at least about 0.005 M −1 mm −1 .